McCrory: Education bureaucracy slows filling needed teacher positions

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Chapel Hill, N.C. — Gov. Pat McCrory was frank when discussing education during an education summit in Cary on Tuesday.

“Too often the bureaucracy, and yes, the education bureaucracy, gets in the way of talented people filling job openings desperately needed in our schools and in our workplace,” he said. “Do you hear me? Sometimes we need to look in the mirror with the education bureaucracy and say, 'Are we blocking a potential great teacher from entering our school?'”

McCrory shared his thoughts during the summit, hosted by the UNC Board of Governors, to talk about ways to boost, strengthen and improve the quality of education in North Carolina.

More than 200 attendees heard a list recommendations from a special Board of Governors Subcommittee on Teacher and School Leader Quality, which over the past year has met with deans of UNC's 15 schools of education, faculty, public school personnel administrators, school superintendents, legislators, policymakers and others to find out what improvements are needed.

North Carolina's public university's education departments saw a 12-percent decrease in enrollment from 2013 to 2014. That number jumped to 27 percent over a five-year time period. Education leaders called it a crisis, saying North Carolina won't be able to produce enough teachers in the coming years.

Leaders say work has already begun on trying to change the trend, but the committee making the recommendations admitted it will take a lot of work to put them into action – more than a year for some.

One idea would be to speed up the teacher certification process, especially for candidates with expertise in subjects with teacher shortages, McCrory said.

“Why not let them do it?” he said. “Why put them through this educational bureaucracy maze when they have already shown they have the skills?”

Objective ScientistJan 28, 2015

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Yes, yes, yes! Why is this not obvious to those in power?!? There are so many experienced teachers who have successfully poured their hearts and minds into teaching and they have been shafted over and over!

— Posted by AppStgrad

Problem is... those dedicated and experiences teachers are most likely Democrats who have supported/voted Democrat Governors and Legislators for several decades. Our current Governor and leaders in the Legislature are Republicans... and it is PAY-BACK TIME! PUNISH those dastardly Democrat supporting teachers... drive them out and away!!! I am a very VERY INDEPENDENT independent who thinks Bev Perdue is one of, if not the WORST Governor NC has ever had... but who also thinks the current Republican elected leaders in NC seem hell-bent to dismantle everything Democrats have ever done... with NO debate whatsoever about relative merit! And... to engage in "pay-back" while eviscerating the teaching profession in NC. Blatant partisan politics with no concern of how it impacts people - teachers and others - in the state!

AppStgradJan 28, 2015

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They really need to worry about retaining the teachers they currently have.....good and dedicated ones. Teachers are leaving by droves to other states and to other professions. Retention is as big a problem as recruitment.

— Posted by Dee Sides

Yes, yes, yes! Why is this not obvious to those in power?!? There are so many experienced teachers who have successfully poured their hearts and minds into teaching and they have been shafted over and over!

Terry WattsJan 28, 2015

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Teachers earn more now than they did under 140 yearsw of democrat control. Next talking point please.

— Posted by arfamr1013

Do you live in a bubble??? The rest of us do not. When the rest of the States pay their teachers significantly more than NC, who cares if we gave them a raise??? They are STILL making less than their peers in neighboring states, and our state rankings have dropped from the middle of the pack to the bottom.

You want to talk about Free Markets and Competition in School??? THIS IS IT. If you want our schools to be competitive, pay teachers a competitive salary.

Bullet points like the one you throw out are just there to make people that are ignorant of the reality of the situation feel better. It lets politicians tell each other "we did good", if only b/c most voters are absolutely clueless... And look who fell for it...

Terry WattsJan 28, 2015

Well if you hadn't lost a bunch of teachers to low pay, we wouldn't have this issue now would we, McCrony???

Objective ScientistJan 28, 2015

It has always amazed me that when issues regarding education arise and someone is to be consulted about the matter, and/or a board or commission is to be formed, etc.... EVERYONE becomes an "EXPERT" on education and the education system. Who is routinely ignored? Those who are trained, educated, and have experience in the field of education? It is as if everyone else are the "experts" and not those who ACTUALLY know better than anyone else... the teachers and administrators in our school systems!!!

OuiserJan 28, 2015

McCrony got his degree Political Science and Education and can't distinguish between Raleigh and Charlotte - I guess that makes him eligible to teach Geography!

I just did some quick number crunching and estimated that for an in-state NCSU student it would cost upwards of $60k (tuition, room, board, books) to get a masters in education. The top pay for a Wake Co. teacher with a masters and 35+ years experience is $55k...nice ROI there wow.

When you see these teacher salaries, factor the cost of the teacher's education/debt: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/fbs/finance/salary/schedules/2014-15schedules.pdf

JoCo50 at MXRJan 28, 2015

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Simmer down everyone. Computers at home are the new teachers. Teachers will go by way of the postal system eventually. Everything will be taught electronically. Wait and see.

— Posted by xylem01

You'll probably never see that.

Computers can't do free daycare nor can they provide free breakfast and lunch

Objective ScientistJan 28, 2015

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Question: what did the previous governor do for our teachers????? What did she actually do??? You lefties seem to forget she did NOTHING!! At least the current governor is doing SOMETHING!!!

— Posted by Jonathan Adams

It is "pretty sad" when simply doing "SOMETHING" - literally ANYTHING - is seen as "positive"! Doing SOMETHING that makes little sense and that has a deleterious effect is as bad, if not worse in some instance, than doing NOTHING!

miseemJan 28, 2015

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Repubs gave the first teacher pay increase in years...an average of 7% no less. So your rant falls on deaf ears. You are no independent because you never attacked Perdue when she replaced money from the education budget with lottery money rather than supplementing the budget (as almost all states with lotteries do).

— Posted by arfamr1013

Only because it was an election year. And after 3 prior years of the GOP refusing any appreciable raises for teachers, or state employees. Remember, for the last 2 years of Perdue's term, the GOP controlled the legislature, and therefore, any raises. And your statement about teachers making more now than ever before is a little disingenuous. Giving someone a penny raise means they are making more in absolute dollars than before. But not in terms of equivalent past pay. In addition, the GOP has been instrumental in moving NC teacher pay from the middle of the pack to the bottom.

Jonathan AdamsJan 28, 2015

Question: what did the previous governor do for our teachers????? What did she actually do??? You lefties seem to forget she did NOTHING!! At least the current governor is doing SOMETHING!!!